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❦Todar Mal
Mughal finance minister and revenue administrator
Raja Todar Mal was Akbar's finance minister and one of the principal architects of Mughal revenue administration. In the Bengal campaign he assisted Munim Khan against Daud Khan Karrani, pursued the retreating Afghan army after the Battle of Tukaroi in 1575, and helped force the Treaty of Katak.
Biography
Context
In the context of The transition from military conquest to fiscal integration under Akbar. Todar Mal's Bengal settlement is associated with the 1582 division of the province into 19 sarkars and their parganas, although much of Bengal was still outside effective Mughal control when the initial figures were prepared., Todar Mal is recognized as Mughal finance minister and revenue administrator. Raja Todar Mal was Akbar's finance minister and one of the principal architects of Mughal revenue administration. In the Bengal campaign he assisted Munim Khan against Daud Khan Karrani, pursued the retreating Afghan army after the Battle of Tukaroi in 1575, and helped force the Treaty of Katak.
Contribution
Raja Todar Mal was Akbar's finance minister and one of the principal architects of Mughal revenue administration. In the Bengal campaign he assisted Munim Khan against Daud Khan Karrani, pursued the retreating Afghan army after the Battle of Tukaroi in 1575, and helped force the Treaty of Katak.
Impact
His settlement gave Mughal officials a standardized framework for assessing land revenue, distinguishing khalsa and jagir lands, and organizing local collection through administrative units. The system was later adjusted as Mughal authority expanded across Bengal and remained an important reference for subsequent revenue settlements.
Timeline Placement
Todar Mal appears in 1 linked timeline events, spanning 1576 (July 12).
First Appearance
1576 (July 12)
Latest Appearance
1576 (July 12)
Active Span
1576 (July 12)
Linked Events
1
Legacy Summary
His settlement gave Mughal officials a standardized framework for assessing land revenue, distinguishing khalsa and jagir lands, and organizing local collection through administrative units. The system was later adjusted as Mughal authority expanded across Bengal and remained an important reference for subsequent revenue settlements. This influence is reflected across 1 connected events.
References
Key sources for understanding this figure
Ain-i-Akbari
Abu l-Fazl’s administrative record of Akbar’s empire, including Bengal’s geography and revenue administration.
Cited in: 1 events
Akbarnama
The official chronicle of Akbar’s reign, useful for the Mughal conquest and consolidation of Bengal.
Cited in: 1 events
Battle of Rajmahal
Banglapedia summary of the 12 July 1576 battle and the defeat of Daud Khan Karrani.
Cited in: 1 events
Mughal conquest of Bengal
Overview of Mughal campaigns in Bengal, including Rajmahal and post-1576 consolidation.
Cited in: 1 events
Riyaz-us-Salatin: A History of Bengal
A key Persian chronicle of Muslim rule in Bengal from the conquest of Nadia in 1204-05 to Plassey in 1757.
Cited in: 1 events
State Formation in Bengal
Banglapedia reference on state formation, including the Bengal Sultanate phase and its institutional profile.
Cited in: 1 events